ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

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After the wartime in the mid-forties, Toivo Kärki had to hide his interest in big band swing music, but he never abandoned it. He was a realist though, and preferred to place his musical talent in the service of the general public, so eager for uplifting entertainment after the demanding war years. Nevertheless, Kärki used very sophisticated melodic and harmonic ideas in all his compositions and arrangements. This is why his compositions are a challenge for modern authors working on new versions of these old songs. This album, A Lark in a Snowstorm, combines the versatility of his compositions, his musical preferences and his aspirations, adapted into a modern expression of music. The title piece is the second earliest of Kärki's existing compositions, a true reflection of the many turns in his life. Only those who were more familiar with him knew that basically he was a sensitive artist - like a lark. On the other hand they knew that he was a persevering fighter, who had to struggle against the odds throughout most of his professional career. He never gave up, not even in an icy snowstorm. The compositions of Toivo Kärki (1915-1992), at least the best of them, can be characterized with the exacting word 'quality'. The basis for his musical thought was his keen interest in jazz, which started as early as 1928 when he heard Louis Armstrong on record. After winning an international contest for new compositions, arranged by the Rhythm magazine in 1939, Kärki planned to move to the United States. History, however, decided otherwise: the Finnish Winter War (against the Soviet Union) broke out and Kärki was sent to the front like thousands of others.

Leivonen Lumimyrskyssä is a documentary as well as musical experience by pianist and composer Mika Pohjola, who now lives in New York. A large roster of players in multiple ensembles perform fifteen songs; the CD also contains five interview snippets with Kärki, plus a computer-compatible multimedia presentation featuring some of his original arrangements.

The range of Kärki's compositions means sometimes a simple freshening up works best. Soita Hiljaa, Kitarain - Play It Softly, My Guitar, an Argentinean Chacarera featuring a Cueca rhythm, goes from a crooning string-heavy ballad (old) to a snappier duet of high female/low male vocals with some Spain-like rhythmic flair (new), both benefitting from similar light-note melodic cushioning on guitar.

The dramatic, wistful or taunting vocals carry most of the album. Pohjola's lightly melodic piano can be heard with a soft touch on a few songs.

The Kärki tribute is worthy for those familiar with him and/or Pohjola, or who are interested in the region and its music of the era, especially given the welcome context provided by the supplemental material.

Spanning the last several years Finnish modern jazz pianist/composer Mika Pohjola has been applying his multifarious crafts while residing in New York City. On this rather enchanting effort, the pianist investigates the music of Finnish composer Toivo Karki (1915-1992).

With a large ensemble and three vocalists, Pohjola arranged a portion of Karki’s work for a program highlighting the late composer’s intricately devised harmonic structures. Karki was enamored with jazz music upon listening to Louis Armstrong back in 1928. But as Pohjola intimates in the liners, Karki served as a music populist in his native Finland while never abandoning his love for jazz music. With these pieces, we find folk, cabaret, and swing morphed into a contemporary sound embedded within Karki’s melodramatically inclined storylines.

Two female vocalists (Sanni Orasmaa and Eeppi Ursin) sing in their native tongues, other than the latter’s English verse on the swinging 50s jazz/pop like composition titled Counting the Cost. But for those who are not privy to the Finnish language, their angelic and often-sultry vocals instill a lighthearted spirit, abetted by Pohjola’s intertwining arrangements. Marked by bustling rhythms, layered horns/strings and a few jazzy solos, the music is elevated by the artists’ buoyant spirit and dissemination of charm to complement a few brisk, swing vamps. This album also features male vocalist Henrik Lamberg’s drama-filled, spoken word musings and tenor vocals. Therefore, it’s a divergent extravaganza that occasionally takes on the sound and feel of a theatrical film-score. Quite compelling…

WARNING -- this CD is not just *good*, not merely *excellent*, it is *SUPREME*! This CD is magical, sublime, and will make you want to learn Finnish as soon as possible. I may not be an expert (I haven't heard the original versions of these songs, or much Finnish music before, aside from classical), but I am in love - I know I'll listen to this CD for years to come. The songs are beautiful, the production is delightful, and the whole form begs for a repeat listen. I feel incredibly fortunate that about 5 years ago, I met Mika Pohjola at mp3.com and joined his mailing list. He and his collaborators are simply terrific. Well worth your money - get it now!

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